1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein relates generally to a reusable casket and a method for transferring remains from such a reusable casket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The costs associated with funerals are high. The family of the deceased often pays from $10,000.00 to $30,000.00 or more. These costs include, for example, the costs of the casket, the clergy, a headstone, opening and maintenance of a cemetery grave, embalming the body and/or other costs, such as catering, transportation, etc.
The cost of the casket alone can range from $5,000.00 to $20,000.00 or more, depending on construction and level of ornamentation of the casket. Caskets are divided economically into at least two groups: less expensive wood caskets and more expensive metal caskets. Metal caskets are generally perceived to be of higher quality in terms of aesthetics, strength, and resistance to decomposition. Furthermore, the high quality and aesthetics of a metal casket are often perceived to communicate a degree of respect, status and/or luxury for the deceased. Many families thus desire ornate metal caskets for the deceased, so as to present the deceased in the most esteemed manner affordable.
Unfortunately, a family may wish to present the deceased in an ornate metal casket, when they can only afford a less expensive wood casket. Alternatively, the family may wish to cremate the deceased (in a cremation box, for example), but would still like to have an ornate metal casket for a wake. It would thus be beneficial if the family of the deceased could rent the more ornate casket for presentation of the deceased, without having to purchase the ornate casket for subsequent burial or cremation.
Prior artisans have attempted to solve this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,543 to Angermann discloses a display casket for removably holding a body display container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,785 to Minton et al. discloses a reusable casket assembly comprising a two part burial system having an ornate, reusable outer shell mated to an inner capsule. However, among other deficiencies, both Angermann and Minton et al. are not compatible with conventional containers for human remains, are cumbersome to operate, and do not include means for easy removal of the remains container.